nail in somebody’s/something’s coffin

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishnail in somebody’s/something’s coffinnail in somebody’s/something’s coffinDESTROYone of several bad things which help to destroy someone’s success or hopesObservers fear that this strike will be another nail in the coffin of the industry.the final nail in his coffin →nail

Examples from the Corpus

nail in somebody’s/something’s coffin• Another loss would be another nail in Branfoots managerial coffin.• Industryobserversfear that this would be another nail in the coffin of the independent record industry.• It is another nail in the coffin of deterrence even if the first generation of cruise will be slow for such a role.• Was not the film's very name, Last Resort, another nail in Margate's coffin?• A finalnail in the coffin had been hammered in by Wrede.• For me this was the final nail in the coffin of a terminally dullproduct.• It also is one more nail in the coffin of formaldecor.• In the end, it was also the issue which secured a vitalnail in the coffin of Britain's nucleardream.